Box Score

FULLERTON, Calif. -

Loyola Marymount 3, Utah State 1

Utah State softball ended play at the Easton Invitational Sunday, concluding the opening weekend of the 2017 season in a 3-1 loss to Loyola Marymount.

"Overall, it was a good weekend. Going 4-1 is a great start and is something we can build on for next week," said USU head coach Steve Johnson. "Today's loss was disappointing because of how good our other four wins were. Another step in our building process is learning how to play the next day after a big win. Last night's game was so big from the atmosphere, to the opponent, to the win, that it can be hard to keep that same level of intensity."

Utah State ends the season-opening weekend with a 4-1 record, the record in the first tournament of the year since 2010.

Junior Jordyn McCracken made the start in the circle for the Aggies. She was relieved by senior April Brown. Together, the two allowed six hits while striking out four batters and walking one. The Aggie offense had four hits on the day, with two coming off the bat of senior first baseman Paxton Provost. Sophomore outfielder Mia Maher scored the sole run for Utah State in a pinch runner role. Provost was also tops defensively with five putouts, while junior catcher Brina Buttacavoli added four.

Loyola Marymount got on the board early with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. The next four innings moved quickly, as the teams combined to allow six runners to get on-base. The Lions extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth, as a pair of singles and a long throw by the Aggie defense pushed another run across.

Utah State evaded the shutout as it scored in the top of the seventh inning. Provost led-off the inning with a single to left field, while Maher entered to pinch run. Maher stole her fifth base of the weekend, then advanced to third on a groundout from senior shortstop Sarina Jaramillo. Hart then drove in the run with a single through the left side. Unfortunately, the game came to an end in the next at-bat as sophomore pinch hitter Bailey Lewis struck out.

"Early on today, I didn't set the tone, so the slow start is on me. But at the plate, we didn't make the adjustments we needed to," Johnson said. "The important thing now is that we learn from this and not make the same mistakes next weekend."

Utah State returns to tournament action at the UNLV-hosted Wilson/DeMarini Desert Classic this weekend. USU will begin the tournament against Memphis (3-2) on Friday, Feb. 17 at 3:30 p.m. (MT), followed by a 5:45 p.m. matchup against Southern Utah (1-3). On Saturday, Feb. 18, Utah State will play Weber State (0-4-1) and UTEP (0-5) at 3:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m., respectively. Action will conclude Sunday, Feb. 19, in a 10 a.m. game against Texas State (4-1).

Fans can follow the Aggie softball program on Twitter, @USUSoftball, on Facebook at /USUSoftball or on Instagram, @ususoftball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.